jonathon colman: wicked ambiguity and user experience - seattle interactive 2015

Ambiguity wicked

NASA/JPL [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Colman


Jonathon

@jcolman


Bit.ly/raycats video + slides + text

Sebas<an Mary (giovannijl-‐s_photohut) [CC-‐BY-‐SA-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/giovannijl-‐s_photohut/421051338

Big problem What’s the

in user experience?

They think we’re just

creatives

Oh, But I’m really a

._______!


Designer ._______!


Developer ._______!


Researcher ._______!


Information Architect ._______!


._______! Content Strategist


._______! Creative

creative Designer

Content Strategist Information Architect

Researcher Developer

Our differences

Don’t matter

We’re united against

Ambiguity

Problems Wicked

Horst Rittel & Melvin Webber

René Spitz (renespitz) [CC-‐BY-‐ND-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nd/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/renespitz/3383405574/

John Snow/C.F. Cheffins (Rewardiv at en.wikipedia) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snow-‐cholera-‐map-‐1.jpg

Naw, That’s a tame problem


US Federal Agency Centers for Disease Control and Preven<on (CDC), from Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/cdcglobal/14723720857 (crea<ve commons license: hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ )

OMG WHADDA wicked pissaH


Steffi Reichert, from Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/steffireichert/4107432940 (crea<ve commons license: hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nc-‐nd/2.0/ )

By Ventus (Own work) [CC BY-‐SA 3.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By West Midlands Police from West Midlands, United Kingdom [CC BY-‐SA 2.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

US Federal Agency Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drugpackscorpion.png

John Warwick Brooke [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bri<sh_ar<llery_in_ac<on,_World_War_I.JPEG

By Elizabeth ArroN / VOA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VOA-‐Crimea-‐Simferopol-‐airport.jpg

Tim J. Keegan (suburbanbloke) [CC-‐BY-‐SA-‐2.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/49333819@N00/381634787

Adam Fowler (adamfowler) [CC BY-‐NC-‐ND 2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nc-‐nd/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/adamfowler/4841559945

UX wicked problems in

Designing for

Alien beings

ScoNer20 via NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terrestrial_Planets_Size_Comp_True_Color.png

By NASA (Cropped from Image:Africa satellite plane.jpg.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sahara_satellite_hires.jpg


HELLO


2 + 2 = 4


EAT AT JOE’S

signalmirror [CC-‐BY-‐SA-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/signalmirror/8329443696/

NASA/JPL [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mars_atmosphere.jpg

NASA/JPL [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mars_atmosphere.jpg

EAT AT JOE’S

Via Wikipedia -‐ hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equa<on

𝑁= 𝑅↓∗ ∙ 𝑓↓𝑝 ∙ 𝑛↓𝑒 ∙ 𝑓↓𝑙 ∙ 𝑓↓𝑖 ∙ 𝑓↓𝑐 ∙𝐿 The Drake Equation



Lower bound:

8 x 10-20


Lower bound:

8 x 10-20 Upper bound:

36.4 M


Oona Räisänen; designed by Carl Sagan & Frank Drake; artwork by Linda Salzman Sagan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pioneer_plaque.svg

Alex Alonso [CC-‐BY-‐NC-‐SA-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nc-‐sa/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/aleiex/2123333438

Carl Sagan

NASA/JPL [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arecibo_message.svg

By Arne Nordmann [GFDL (hNp://www.gnu.org/copyleo/fdl.html), CC-‐BY-‐SA-‐3.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arecibo_message.svg

NASA/JPL [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sounds_of_Earth_-‐_GPN-‐2000-‐001976.jpg

NASA/JPL [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sounds_of_Earth_Record_Cover_-‐_GPN-‐2000-‐001978.jpg

NASA/JPL [Public domain], via NASA -‐ hNp://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2011/04/28/annsbrainwaves.jpg via hNp://science.nasa.gov/science-‐news/science-‐at-‐nasa/2011/28apr_voyager2/

UX wicked problems in

Designing a warning for

Nuclear Waste

JJanos Korom Dr. from Wien, Austria (Bécs 219 Uploaded by darkweasel94) [CC-‐BY-‐SA-‐2.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B%C3%A9cs_219_(8135332496).jpg

User:Fasqission [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yucca_Mountain_crest_south.jpg

Half-life:

24,100 years

239 PU

Via hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium-‐239 . Photo by Los Alamos Na<onal Laboratory [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plutonium_ring.jpg

Half-life:

24,100 years

Via hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium-‐235 and hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium-‐239

239 PU 235 U

Half-life:

24,100 years

Half-life:

703,800,000 years

Via hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium-‐235 and hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium-‐239

239 PU 235 U

By Ed Siasoco (Flickr: Trinity 007) [CC-‐BY-‐2.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trinity_007.jpg

Goal Stop people from

accessing nuclear waste

Strategy Create a message that

lasts for 10,000+ years

Objective 1 Must communicate “this is a message”

Objective 2 Must communicate

“this area is dangerous”

Objective 3 Must communicate

WHY

Publishers of the 1890 Holman Bible [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holman_Priest_High_Priest_Levite.jpg

NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GPS_Satellite_NASA_art-‐iif.jpg

By Jon Sullivan (PdPhoto) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leaf_1_web.jpg

Russell Bernice (russellbernice) [CC-‐BY-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/russellbernice/2558386173/

Alle (pinkiwinki<nki) [CC-‐BY—SA-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/55638925@N00/377299306/

Nicolas Raymond (82955120@N05) [CC-‐BY-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/82955120@N05/13094530583

Sandia Na<onal Laboratories, “Expert Judgment on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the Waste Isola<on Pilot Plant” (1993) -‐ hNp://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-‐control.cgi/1992/921382.pdf

ambiguity the Nature of

NASA/JPL, Voyager 1 (hNp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=601) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -‐ hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pale_Blue_Dot.png


YOU ARE HERE


EAT AT JOE’S

Our problems aren’t meaningful because they last forever

Our problems are meaningful because

They don’t

They don’t

Wey don’t

creative Designer

Content Strategist Information Architect

Researcher Developer

AMBIGUITY

Wikipedia: “Uncertainty Principle” -‐ hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle

∆𝑥∙∆𝑝↓𝑥 ≥ ℏ/2 

Wikipedia: “Uncertainty Principle” -‐ hNp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle

∆𝑥∙∆𝑝↓𝑥 ≥ ℏ/2 

we live in an uncertain universe

Adam Fowler (adamfowler) [CC BY-‐NC-‐ND 2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nc-‐nd/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/adamfowler/4841559945

Wicked problems are

catalysts Wicked problems are

Creativity Wicked problems ignite our

Forward Wicked problems pull us

Innovate Wicked problems help us

Wicked Problems We can’t solve


But we can Acknowledge them

Tim J. Keegan (suburbanbloke) [CC-‐BY-‐SA-‐2.0 (hNp://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐sa/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/49333819@N00/381634787

Acknowledge them

But we can Take risks


Mike Bash [CC-‐BY-‐NC-‐ND-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nc-‐nd/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/jbash/4223183281

Take risks

But we can Stop being perfect


But we can Reward learning


Laura Ferreira [CC-‐BY-‐NC-‐ND-‐2.0 (hNps://crea<vecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nc-‐nd/2.0/)], via Flickr -‐ hNps://www.flickr.com/photos/prayerfriends/4343362783

Reward learning

But we can Try


But we can Dare

Our differences

Don’t Matter

Our problems

Do

We stand

United

And so when we’re faced with ambiguity, we’re not afraid. We don’t run away from it.

Run away We Don’t

From ambiguity


We Run toward it

Ambiguity


wicked


Bit.ly/raycats video + slides + text

NASA, ESA, Hubble Space Telescope [Public domain], via NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, hNp://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101009.html

EAT AT JOE’S